12.3 Deities and Afterlifes

PIC When a humanoid creature dies in Rise, they know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they will go to an afterlife. Most likely, they know exactly which afterlife they will go to, either as a result of their alignment or their worship of a particular deity. In that afterlife, they will live again for as long as they want, though they cannot leave without being magically resurrected. People are confident that this is true because deities have told them so, and deities are provably real. Also, rare and powerful magic can be used to communicate with people in their afterlife, or even to physically travel to an afterlife plane. It is an undisputed fact that Rise is filled with a wide variety of deities of varying power and influence. They divinely empower their clerics to act on their behalf. Many people know, though some chain of connections, someone who chose to become a cleric and was quickly rewarded with divine magic far beyond anything they could previously do on their own. Everyone has heard legends of deities intervening more directly in the world even without a cleric, though these stories are rare and few have experienced them firsthand. There are nine distinct afterlife planes, with one plane for each alignment combination. Each of those planes is divided into layers. Some of those layers are reserved for deities, with major deities claiming layers that are entirely their own and multiple minor deities sharing territory within a single layer. The remaining layers have no specific associated deity. People can travel between the layers, though the specific mechanisms for traversing layers are different for each afterlife plane. Most people do not know this level of detail about afterlife planes, and a commoner would simply be confident that they will go where they belong. It is well known that the afterlife planes for evildoers are much harsher than the other afterlife planes. The three evil afterlife planes are collectively referred to the Abyss. Demons stalk those planes, tormenting evildoers for their own sadistic reasons. One of the reasons that some people worship evil deities is to gain a promise of safety, since evil deities protect their worshippers from demonic torment in the afterlife. It is also said that demons only torment the weak-willed, and that those who escape demonic torments are free to live in hedonistic luxury. There is truth in this, though there are far more people who are confident that they would rule proudly in the Abyss than people who succeed. A list of specific well-known deities is given in Table 12.1: Deities. The many minor deities worshipped by monsters are not listed here. Of course, the GM may use their own custom pantheon.

Table 12.1:Deities

Deity

Alignment

Domains

Gregory, warrior god of mundanity

Lawful good

Law, Protection, Strength, War

Guftas, horse god of justice

Lawful good

Good, Law, Strength, Travel

Lucied, paladin god of justice

Lawful good

Destruction, Good, Protection, War

Simor, fighter god of protection

Lawful good

Good, Protection, Strength, War

Ayala, naiad god of water

Neutral good

Life, Magic, Water, Wild

Pabs Beerbeard, dwarf god of drink

Neutral good

Good, Life, Strength, Wild

Rucks, monk god of pragmatism

Neutral good

Good, Law, Protection, Travel

Vanya, centaur god of nature

Neutral good

Good, Strength, Travel, Wild

Brushtwig, pixie god of creativity

Chaotic good

Chaos, Good, Trickery, Wild

Camilla, tiefling god of fire

Chaotic good

Fire, Good, Magic, Protection

Chavi, wandering god of stories

Chaotic good

Chaos, Knowledge, Trickery

Chort, dwarf god of optimism

Chaotic good

Good, Life, Travel, Wild

Ivan Ivanovitch, bear god of strength

Chaotic good

Chaos, Strength, War, Wild

Krunch, barbarian god of destruction

Chaotic good

Destruction, Good, Strength, War

Sir Cakes, dwarf god of freedom

Chaotic good

Chaos, Good, Strength

Mikolash, scholar god of knowledge

Lawful neutral

Knowledge, Law, Magic, Protection

Raphael, monk god of retribution

Lawful neutral

Death, Law, Protection, Travel

Declan, god of fire

True neutral

Destruction, Fire, Knowledge, Magic

Mammon, golem god of endurance

True neutral

Knowledge, Magic, Protection, Strength

Kurai, shaman god of nature

True neutral

Air, Earth, Fire, Water

Amanita, druid god of decay

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Destruction, Life, Wild

Antimony, elf god of necromancy

Chaotic neutral

Death, Knowledge, Life, Magic

Clockwork, elf god of time

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Magic, Trickery, Travel

Diplo, doll god of destruction

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Destruction, Strength, War

Lord Khallus, fighter god of pride

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Strength, War

Celeano, sorcerer god of deception

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Magic, Protection, Trickery

Murdoc, god of mercenaries

Chaotic neutral

Destruction, Knowledge, Travel, War

Ribo, halfling god of trickery

Chaotic neutral

Chaos, Trickery, Water

Tak, orc god of war

Lawful evil

Law, Strength, Trickery, War

Theodolus, sorcerer god of ambition

Neutral evil

Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Trickery

Daeghul, demon god of slaughter

Chaotic evil

Destruction, Evil, Magic, War